Robbins mayor says police evidence lab has been revamped

Village leaders in Robbins say the South suburb’s police department evidence room has undergone an overhaul.

In February, the Cook County sheriff said 51 sexual assault kits were found in an evidence room and never submitted for analysis. Some dated to 1986. All were sent to the Illinois State Police.

At the time, Sheriff Tom Dart said there was no acceptable reason the kits weren’t sent for testing.

On Tuesday, Mayor Tyrone Ward held a news conference to say the police department’s evidence lab has a new organizational plan. Robbins Police Chief Melvin Davis says he has specific employees assigned to the classified area.

Ward thanked the sheriff for his help to “clean up the problems of the past.”